When it comes to hair, Nicky Shore, founder of OFF and ON knows her stuff. From her waxing and laser business, OFF which sees clients stripped bare of their fuzzy bits, right through to her other baby, ON which specialises in their unique version of brow tattooing named 'browography', a beauty trend that shows no sign of slowing down. Sarah Simpson decided to put it to the test and send her brows to rehab.
On Brow House, Quay Street, Auckland.
My brow awakening
I had beautiful brows growing up. They were thick, bushy and Brooke Shields-like, but, of course, my 15-year-old self-hated them. Any chance I could get, you would find me painfully plucking away these face-framing beauties until all that was left was an emaciated pair that barely resembled brows. Fast forward to more recent years and you guessed it, thin brows are no longer fashionable and I am left reeling at the damage I have done.
To the rescue
It was at this point that Nicky Shore stepped into my life like a Fairy Godmother and introduced me to her new business proposition which offered 'browography', her version of brow tattooing. It was a calligraphy-style approach to tattooing which gave superior results and the most life-like results I had ever seen in my 10 years of beauty editing. There's a certain amount of trust you need to put in someone when you agree to let them tattoo your face, but it was a no brainer for me and a few years on, I have never looked back.
Tattoo time
My initial consult saw one of the expert team examine my face shape, do measurements and over the course of an hour, completely nail the perfect set of brows for me which were initially etched on using a pencil. Next, comes numbing cream which goes on before the treatment starts. How does it feel? Nothing more than a scratchy sensation which in some places hurts a little more, but all in all is pretty painless. This type of tattooing is semi-permanent, so touch-ups every year will keep your brows looking their best and I have never missed one, so that just proves how easy-peasy the process is.
Brow perfection
As the pics below prove, my brows have done a full 360 and what was once a daily beauty chore of filling in my brows that I couldn't leave the house without doing, is now all but a distant memory. Those of you who are a slave to their barely- there- brows will appreciate what this means. While the initial cost is an investment, the treatment has more than paid for itself in the regular tints I have saved on getting done. Visit ON Brow House for more info or phone 09 366 1692.
Before and after my 'browography' session.
Browography costs $895 which includes an initial consultation.
Keep an eye out for when Editor Trudi Brewer trials the treatment later this month.